Educational Programme for High School Students "Madama Butterfly"

The Educational Programme for High School Students started in 1998 and held every year, especially to give young people the opportunity to experience world-class opera productions. Performances are presented as a full-length opera with live orchestral music just as same as all the other performances at the New National Theatre Tokyo.
This year, we will present the opera "Madama Butterfly" which has been most frequently performed as part of the Educational Programme.
Composed by Giacomo PUCCINI, "Madama Butterfly" set in Meiji-era Nagasaki tells the sad story of Lieutenant Pinkerton and his marriage of convenience to Madama Butterfly. Musical highlights include Pinkerton's , Pinkerton and Madama Butterfly's love duet in Act 1, Madama Butterfly's in Act 2 and the parting aria Madama Butterfly sings to her son in the climatic ending scene <Tu, Tu Piccolo Iddio>.
Director KURIYAMA Tamiya (former Artistic Director of Drama) presents the relationship between the East and West as a clear global contrast, focusing on the drama that captures the polarity, drawing out the concept. This is represented symbolically by the American flag fluttering on stage; the simple device further complements the story.